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MD Horse Library to Host Black Horsemen Exhibit in Feb.
In recognition of Black History Month, the Maryland Horse Library and Education Center (MHLEC), at 321 Main Street in Historic Reisterstown, will host the traveling exhibit, The Heart of the Turf: Racing's Black Pioneers.
Heart of the Turf highlights the lives and careers of 100 African American horsemen and horsewomen from the mid-1800s to the present. One-of-a-kind photographs from the Keeneland Library collection capture moments across their varied careers, while biographical vignettes honor their lasting legacies.
From racetrack superstars to behind-the-scenes caretakers, The Heart of the Turf: Racing's Black Pioneers showcases stories of the countless African Americans who forged their way in horse racing in Kentucky and beyond. The display showcases the era of slavery to the present, noting the accomplishments that helped to make the horse racing industry what it is today.
"We will take this time to acknowledge the contributions of the many Black horsemen who are the bedrock of horse racing," said Cricket Goodall, executive director of the MHLEC, "As in so many sports, African Americans were the pioneers in history."
The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers
The Keeneland Library launched The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers in the Library from February 23 to December 8, 2023, before traveling the exhibit. Since its launch, 90,000 youth and adults from 32 countries have freely engaged with the exhibit and its educational programs.
The groundbreaking exhibit that follows the lives and contributions of Black horsemen and women from enslavement to today engaged visitors with exhibited interpretive panels and never-before-displayed photographs, artwork, artifacts, and video interviews. More than 100 photographs from Keeneland Library collections captured moments across their varied careers, while commissioned artwork by LaVon Williams and loaned artwork from the Kentucky Derby Museum, the International Museum of the Horse, and private collections honored their lasting legacies.
Lexington’s East End, home to the Kentucky Association track from the late 1820s through 1933, also was home to many Black horsemen and their families. By the late 1800s, four future Racing Hall of Famers lived in Lexington’s East End: jockeys Isaac Burns Murphy and Jimmy Winkfield, trainer Ansel Williamson, and trainer/owner Edward Dudley Brown. Hundreds of others bought their homes, built their businesses, and raised their families in surrounding neighborhoods.
Oscar Dishman, Jr. (right) and Robert Turner (left), circa 1965Keeneland Library Collection
That many of the city’s leading horsemen were African American and living near the Kentucky Association track shaped the East End’s heritage as a historic industry hub for pioneering Black horsemen. The economy of the Bluegrass and viability of the Thoroughbred industry as a whole are rooted in their skill, hard work, knowledge, and tenacity.
From race track superstars to behind-the-scenes caretakers, The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers showcases select stories of the countless African Americans who forged their way in Kentucky and beyond from the era of slavery to the present, making the racing industry what it is today.
The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers
The Keeneland Library launched The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers in the Library from February 23 to December 8, 2023, before traveling the exhibit. Since its launch, 90,000 youth and adults from 32 countries have freely engaged with the exhibit and its educational programs.
The groundbreaking exhibit that follows the lives and contributions of Black horsemen and women from enslavement to today engaged visitors with exhibited interpretive panels and never-before-displayed photographs, artwork, artifacts, and video interviews. More than 100 photographs from Keeneland Library collections captured moments across their varied careers, while commissioned artwork by LaVon Williams and loaned artwork from the Kentucky Derby Museum, the International Museum of the Horse, and private collections honored their lasting legacies.
Lexington’s East End, home to the Kentucky Association track from the late 1820s through 1933, also was home to many Black horsemen and their families. By the late 1800s, four future Racing Hall of Famers lived in Lexington’s East End: jockeys Isaac Burns Murphy and Jimmy Winkfield, trainer Ansel Williamson, and trainer/owner Edward Dudley Brown. Hundreds of others bought their homes, built their businesses, and raised their families in surrounding neighborhoods.
Oscar Dishman, Jr. (right) and Robert Turner (left), circa 1965Keeneland Library Collection
That many of the city’s leading horsemen were African American and living near the Kentucky Association track shaped the East End’s heritage as a historic industry hub for pioneering Black horsemen. The economy of the Bluegrass and viability of the Thoroughbred industry as a whole are rooted in their skill, hard work, knowledge, and tenacity.
From race track superstars to behind-the-scenes caretakers, The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers showcases select stories of the countless African Americans who forged their way in Kentucky and beyond from the era of slavery to the present, making the racing industry what it is today.
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